Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged opposition parties to assess President Bola Tinubu based on his performance in office rather than his academic certificates as campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.
Ndume, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the renewed controversy over Tinubu’s academic credentials as a needless distraction.
He challenged opposition presidential candidates to present alternative economic policies and explain how they would outperform the Tinubu administration, particularly on the economy and insecurity.
The comments followed renewed concerns over Tinubu’s EC9 form, in which the columns for primary and secondary education were left blank, while he listed a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Chicago State University, obtained in 1979.
Ndume maintained that Tinubu met the constitutional requirement for the presidency, citing Section 131(d) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires a candidate to be educated to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
He added that the courts had already addressed issues surrounding Tinubu’s qualifications following the 2023 elections.
Ndume urged opposition parties to raise the level of political debate by focusing on policies and ideas rather than personal issues.
